At a significant meeting today to rally support for an ocean under attack by the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and rampant pollution, actor and ocean campaigner Jason Momoa was named the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Advocate for Life Below Water.
The UN Ocean Conference, co-hosted by Portugal and Kenya, will make progress on science-based solutions to ensure better management and conservation of the ocean and its resources.
Thousands of ocean advocates from business, civil society, and government, including several Heads of State, will attend.
The meeting, which is in line with SDG 14, life below water, emphasizes the urgent need for scientific research and marine technology to strengthen ocean resilience, and it is anticipated that it will result in a negotiated political declaration.
The Aquaman actor expressed his awe at being given the duty to advance ocean health, having collaborated with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii and rePurpose Global: With this recognition, I intend to carry on with my own efforts to save and conserve the ocean and all other forms of life on our stunning blue world for current and future generations.
He highlighted how growing up on one of the most magnificent archipelagos in the world instilled in him an appreciation for the ocean and nature that has only grown stronger over time.
The native Hawaiian with Polynesian ancestry, who has long fought for the rights of people of island nations.
“The ocean serves as a mentor, teacher, and inspiration for me. It is existential as well. Life as we know it would not exist on our planet without a healthy ocean.
Speaking before the Youth and Innovation Forum, where he arrived on a boat to collect the Nature Baton from the UN Special Envoy for the Ocean, Peter Thomson, Momoa, the star of Aquaman and the impending sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, made a few points. Reps for the young received the baton from Momoa, who then passed it on to the UN Secretary-General.
The journey ocean champions took this year from Brest to Nairobi for the UN Environment Assembly, to Palau for the Our Oceans Conference, and to Stockholm for World Environment Day on the way to Lisbon is metaphorically represented by the Nature Baton, a global collaboration for the wellbeing of the oceans that has brought attention to the need for action to save the world’s oceans.
“Jason Momoa joining the UN family as UNEP’s Advocate for Life Below Water makes us really happy. Inger Andersen, executive director of UNEP, stated that Jason has a proven track record of fighting for ocean issues, such as decreasing single-use plastic waste and safeguarding coral reefs.
The four main indicators of climate change—greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rise, ocean temperatures, and ocean acidification—all reached record highs in 2021. Therefore, the moment to act is now.
She continued, “We believe that Jason can encourage this urgency and action by bringing ocean considerations into the hearts and minds of individuals and corporate leaders thanks to his large and active fan base.
Early commitments from the meeting include promises from the United States and the European Commission to join UNEP’s Clean Seas Campaign, strengthening what is already the largest campaign focused to stopping marine trash and plastic pollution in the entire globe.
In an initiative that now covers 75% of the world’s coastline, they join recent additions Tanzania, Uganda, Cabo Verde, Rwanda, and Portugal. Following the 1,406 voluntary pledges made at the 2017 conference, more are anticipated to be made to address ocean-related problems that have an impact on communities and nations.
17 nations made commitments to join the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment at the Ocean Summit Event, including those of Australia, Belgium, Ecuador, Ghana, Kenya, Thailand, Vanuatu, and 10 Brazilian states.
They join the 500+ signatories who are supporting the shift to a circular economy and working to address the plastic pollution catastrophe threatening the health of our oceans, as well as the 11 countries that signed the Global Commitment at the One Oceans Summit in February.
The ‘Giant Plastic Tap,’ a three-story art installation made from 200 kilos of plastic waste provided by the local waste management company Novo Verde and sponsored by Iberdrola, was on display at the historic environmental conference, which is also in line with the UN Decades of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and Ecosystem Restoration.
The installation, which was the brainchild of activist Benjamin Von Wong, was first built in Nairobi for the fifth UN Environmental Assembly and is now located in the Park of the Nations neighborhood of Lisbon.
There, it serves as a visceral reminder to onlookers of the severity of the plastic pollution issue and the pressing need for humanity to “turn off the plastic tap” from source to sea.
At the conference’s Sustainable Blue Economy Investment Forum, where the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, a project backed by UNEP and partners and the largest blended finance vehicle dedicated to SDG 14, will receive additional financial support, the need to restore and protect coral reefs is also a top priority.
Four unique events, including a Youth and Innovation Forum, a High-Level Symposium on Water, and a Sustainable Blue Economy Investment Forum, are included in the conference’s 250+ activities.
Specifically for Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries, eight multi-stakeholder dialogues on topics like marine pollution, sustainable fisheries, marine technology, and the promotion and strengthening of sustainable ocean-based economies will review opportunities and challenges to inspire commitments and ocean action.